I'm not going to say that the National Route 66 Festival in Clinton, Okla., was the best ever. I've been interested in the Mother Road only since about 2000, and a number of national Route 66 festivals were held before that. But I've attended each national roadie gathering since 2002, and I enjoyed this past … Continue reading Clinton, ya done good
Motel gets a lift from tourism
This story by the Edwardsville (Ill.) Journal is a case study about how the surge of Route 66 tourism, beginning in the 1990s, has probably helped keep alive many old motels. The motel in question is the Apple Valley Motel in nearby Mitchell, Ill., which dates to the 1940s or '50s and has just 17 … Continue reading Motel gets a lift from tourism
Donation boosts The Mill restoration
Restoration efforts for The Mill, a long-closed Route 66 restaurant in Lincoln, Ill., got a big lift when local philanthropist Larry Van Bibber donated $15,000, reported the Lincoln Courier. Van Bibber said he asked Geoff Ladd, who is chairman of the Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County, how much money Ladd thought the renovation … Continue reading Donation boosts The Mill restoration
A talk with the Sheriff
The Daily Oklahoman concludes its week-long coverage of Route 66 and the National Route 66 Festival in Clinton, Okla., with an interview with Michael Wallis, author of "Route 66: The Mother Road" and the voice of the Sheriff of Radiator Springs in the movie "Cars." The linked page includes an audio file of Wallis' distinctive … Continue reading A talk with the Sheriff
Slide show from western Arizona
Here is a YouTube video from the western Arizona towns of Oatman, Kingman and Seligman. Look out for the wild burros.
Barstow may restore old Route 66 signs
The City of Barstow, Calif., may restore nine old neon signs along Route 66, reports the Desert Dispatch of nearby Victorville, in an effort to boost tourism. The total cost of the project will be an estimated $180,000, with half expected from a grant by the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. The article doesn't provide … Continue reading Barstow may restore old Route 66 signs
Scenes from the festival
On Saturday afternoon, I took a walk at downtown Clinton, Okla., to check on the activity during the National Route 66 Festival. Inside the Frisco Center, Delbert Trew, who won the Route 66 Lifetime Achievement Award with his wife Ruth on Friday, is displaying one of the letters salvaged from "Rattlesnakes -- Exit Now" sign … Continue reading Scenes from the festival
Clinton proves its worth as a festival host
This article by Steve Lackmeyer of The Daily Oklahoman has a lot to recommend it, including interviews with a bunch of Route 66's colorful characters (including a man with 53 Route 66-related tattoos) during the National Route 66 Festival in Clinton, Okla. But this excerpt justifies the faith I've had in Clinton (population 8,300) in … Continue reading Clinton proves its worth as a festival host
Oklahoma dominates Will Rogers Awards
Representatives from Oklahoma took home four of the top six honors during the Will Rogers Awards Evening in the Frisco Center on Friday night at the National Route 66 Festival in Clinton, Okla. Author and actor Michael Wallis of Tulsa was given the Will Rogers Award, the group that restored the Old Armory in Chandler, … Continue reading Oklahoma dominates Will Rogers Awards
Rain stops, preservation project begins
It was looking grim Friday morning before the scheduled start of the preservation project for the closed Ray's Motel in Clinton, Okla., as part of activities with the National Route 66 Festival. Heavy rain had fallen, and according to radar, a storm system appeared parked over Clinton. However, shortly before the project's 11 a.m. start, … Continue reading Rain stops, preservation project begins